


Fake It 'Til You Make It

by hopespym



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, it's literally just "bucky is an alpha - tony is an omega"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-07 01:32:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19074757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopespym/pseuds/hopespym
Summary: So sure. Since he’d gotten back from his station overseas, life hadn’t really been treating him too good.Before he’d gone he’d had no trouble at all finding someone for the night and even managed a couple of relationships that had all (seemingly) been going pretty well until he’d been left behind as the others continued on with their lives, and after he’d gotten back he hadn’t even really bothered anything.And all Tinder got him was mugged one time.





	Fake It 'Til You Make It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Reioka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reioka/gifts).



> For my lovely recipient! I hope you like it!
> 
> I haven't ever written a/b/o myself (much as I love a good a/b/o fic) so I decided to have a go but keep in mind that it's really basic stuff. Basically just what the tags say.
> 
> Un-beta'd - all mistakes are my own.

Bucky let out a huff as he shut the door to his parents house behind him, pulling his jacket closer around himself and making his way down the familiar route home. He was considering getting his headphones out to listen to some music like he usually would. Though after the dinner he had just sat through with his family he really felt like a little silence would go along way, and so the only sound to accompany him was the crunching of gravel beneath his feet and the sounds of his own breathing.

Turning the corner to avoid the main street, he slouched in on himself as he looked up and saw a pair of laughing teenagers ahead of him, enjoying their company and not even noticing Bucky trailing behind them. He slowed his steps, trying not to evade in their moment, but he still heard the laughter that fell from their lips.

He couldn’t help but roll his eyes and look down at the ground as his mother's voice rang through his thoughts.

_ “You’re pushing thirty, James! When are you going to finally find a nice omega and settle down?” _

The couple passed him with a chipper, “evening!” and Bucky merely smiled in response, knowing it looked more like a grimace than anything else - but even in his mood he wasn’t quite mean enough as to not respond at all.

A buzzing noise sounded in his pocket and when he saw who had messaged, he couldn’t help but pause in his step, a small smile taking over his face as he typed out a response, walking even slower than he had been before somehow.

**Tony:** _ hey _

**Bucky:** _ no _

_ Tony has sent an image _

**Tony:** _ that’s literally me in the picture you liked _

Bucky let out a huff of laughter and hit the ‘call’ button as he continued walking, connecting his headphones to his phone in time to hear Tony’s voice through the earbuds, a happy chirp to his tone.

“So you claim to not be interested but then you call? I seem to be getting mixed messages and that’s not very nice of you, Bucky-bear.”

“Well I assumed I’d have to keep you interested somehow, the ignorance seems to work for the younger ones these days.”

His small smile got a little bit bigger as Tony let out a joyful laugh and oh, how good it was to hear, “Alright, but we both know you’re far too nice to do that - well. I’d hope so anyway.”

He couldn't help the fond eye roll even though he knew Tony wouldn’t be able to see, “Well, I think my parents are hoping that I’m closer to the settling down phase than anywhere near the root-and-boot phase.”

“Well you know you can’t please everyone, I, of all people, should know that.”

“Maybe I should just make that fantasy of a cabin in the woods a reality. Solitude, trees, nature. Sounds peaceful to me.”

“Mhm. Except for the part where the only thing that guarantees you is getting killed by some mass murderer.”

Bucky hummed in response before Tony continued to talk about whatever it was he had originally wanted to talk about (Bucky managed to listen enough to know that it was about the movie the two of them and some friends were going to see the next day) before his brain had decided to tack onto what Tony had just said and get lost in those thoughts.

As an omega, Tony was definitely not the stereotype of what they were ‘meant’ to be. Much to the disdain of his parents, but then again it was an ever changing society and so what was the expected norm when their parents had gotten together weren’t the same norms as they were now.

Thinking over it more Bucky came to the conclusion of just  _ why _ the conversation with his parents had bothered him so was because he  _ did _ want to settle down with someone and start a nice life with a partner. He wasn’t really too fussed on whether it was an omega, beta or hell - he’d even go for an alpha if it meant he felt content in his life.

So sure, since he’d gotten back from his station overseas, life hadn’t really been treating him too good. Before he’d gone he’d had no trouble at all finding someone for the night and even managed a couple of relationships that had all (seemingly) been going pretty well until he’d been left behind as the others continued on with their lives, and after he’d gotten back he hadn’t even really bothered anything.

And all Tinder got him was mugged one time.

“-ucky.  _ Bucky!  _ Are you there?”

Blinking back to reality, he pulled the phone away his ear for a moment before he quickly soothed to the man on the other side of the phone, “Yeah, I’m still here. Sorry, zoned out for a minute.”

A huff, “That’s an excuse I haven’t heard since we were kids,”

“Not an excuse.”

“- and anyway, did you hear what I said?”

“Yes, mum. I’ll be by yours tomorrow to pick you up before we go to the movie.”

Now a scoff, “Well when you put it like that it sounds like a date,” a pause, “and anyway, it’s getting late and I think this lack of sleep is getting to me. Night, Buck.”

“G’night, Tony.”

 

The movie trip had been cancelled because apparently Sam had gotten himself sick and ‘since it was his idea, he  _ had _ to go’ but Bucky ended up going to Tony’s place anyway, not really having any other plans and still not really wanting to be alone. Plus the omega’s presence always calmed him.

He was currently fully absorbed into the couch and made no effort of moving when Tony came into the room, raised an eyebrow and sighed before sitting on the lounge chair beside the couch, bringing his legs up to his chest and curling up.

Bucky watched the action and suddenly he couldn’t help what he’d been stewing over since his conversation with the man only the previous night.

“Remember when we said that if we were both single by the time we were thirty, we’d marry each other?”

With a tilt to his head, Tony merely nodded in lue of saying anything and Bucky looked away for a minute, regretting bringing it up before he licked his lips and looked back at the other man.

“What say we push the date up?”

Tony didn’t respond for a long moment before: “You’re fucking with me.”

“I’m really not.”

“No, you are.”

Bucky sighed and started to pick himself up of the couch, regret filling him so suddenly and he knew that Tony would be able to smell the scent but he couldn’t help it, “This was stupid, I should have kept my mouth shu-”

“I didn’t say no!”

Bucky looked up from the ground and found Tony standing as well, hands out as if he were placating a scared animal.

“What?”

“I said-I said I didn’t say no.”

The two stared at each other and  _ boy _ , for someone who had brought up this conversation in the first place, Bucky really didn’t think that Tony would have ever ended up saying  _ yes _ . No matter how much he would have loved him to, he didn’t think it would have actually been a reality.

“Really?”

Tony’s face flickered with a few different emotions but before Bucky could sort just one out it slanted back to casual, “Sure? I mean, we’re both still single, we’re already near thirty, it’ll help get your parents off your back… So why not?”

Bucky released a sigh of relief before he swept Tony up into a big hug and he felt Tony go slack in the embrace, even if he had been slightly stiff looking before, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I appreciate this more than you will ever know.”

When they pulled away, Tony’s eyes had gone slightly glassy, but he looked over Bucky’s face and let out a weak smile, “Well, I’m just glad that it was you and not someone like Clint.”

“At least he’d keep it interesting.”

Tony huffed a laugh and rubbed his eyes gently before Bucky suddenly remembered something, hand flying to his pocket, “Oh! Before I forget, I uh - didn’t know if I was ever going to ask or if you were even going to say yes because you know, I’m me and you’re… God Tony, you’re…,” he shook his head and smiled sheepishly, holding out a ring, “It was my great grandmothers. She always wanted my partner to have it so… It’s yours now.”

He watched for a second as Tony’s face got impossible soft as the other an started looking over the ring, noting every detail in it.

When he spoke next, his voice was a whisper as he took it from Tony’s hands to show him the inside, “ _ Usque ad cor meum, cessat _ . Until my heart stops.”

“It’s… It’s beautiful Bucky, truly.”

Bucky hummed before he set it back into Tony’s hand, wrapping their hands closed and shit, “Come to the family dinner next week?”

“Of course.”

 

Something inside Bucky had been screaming at him to stop when he brought up the pinky promise that two insecure young boys had made, but it wasn’t until the door had shut behind him that was suddenly struck with the repressed feelings of nothing but love and adoration he had for Tony.

Fear stricken on the front door step, he had the urge to run back inside, take the ring back and call the whole thing a prank. But he also had the urge to run back inside, tell Tony that he’s loved him, always has and probably has always will but he suppressed it because it was too painful to tread in that friendship and want, and - and -

Shit.

 

Okay, so maybe Bucky was the dumbest smart person ever. 

He had realised this before, he was sure of it, but when he had gotten Tony to agree to something so ludacris, he knew the depths of his stupidity had gotten deeper. Even if he really hadn’t needed to do much - any - persuading.

Steve would have a field day with this, he was sure of it.

Taking a deep breath he tried to ground himself, but then Tony’s scent flooded into his senses and when he opened his eyes-

Oh.

The view was even better than the smell, and- _ holy shit. _

Unable to help the way his eyes widened when they landed on Tony, well done up like it was his last day on earth, he also couldn’t help the way he started stumbling through his words before he let out another breath and tried to put on his best grin. “You sure look something, doll.”

It wasn’t even a lie, it would probably be the easiest thing to slip from his lips, as he really took in the sight of Tony. 

The omega’s hair was left fluffy and it curled a bit near the ends. He also had some eyeliner on his waterline, and Bucky had never appreciated the red lipstick and black mascara combo more.

In all words, Tony looked like the omega of his dreams, and as Bucky watched him walk down the stairs, he let out an internal sigh as he plastered on a slightly faker smile. 

This was stupid, no one was ever going to believe that someone like  _ him _ could get someone like  _ Tony _ .

But oh god, how Tony was smiling at him, and Bucky placed his arm out and couldn’t help but to stay still when Tony moved to go. The omega looked back at him with a look of confusion and Bucky couldn’t help but blurt, “Tony, you truly do look beautiful. I don’t deserve to be the one you dress up as such for.”

Tony’s eyes and smile got softer and he turned to face Bucky fully, his hand coming up to caress his cheek. “Perhaps that’s why you’re the most deserving.”

Before Bucky could ponder at what Tony had just said, the man walked away, smile going a little more brittle and stiff as he tugged Bucky along with him when they were an arms width apart.

Bucky had then made up his mind and decided that after dinner, if the omega felt for the alpha what he thought he felt, then he’d speak his mind - tell Tony how he felt.

He didn’t even really get the chance to doubt himself, for when they reached his parent’s door to properly introduce Tony, and when he had looked from the corner of his eyes to see Tony watching him so adoringly, he couldn’t help but think, ‘screw the plan’ and he leaned in to press a quick kiss to Tony’s lips.

It wasn’t slow enough for Tony to do anything except reach up and thumb his lipstick off of Bucky’s lips when he pulled back. When it looked like he was going to lean in himself, the door opened and he was so caught up in the pleasure of seeing Steve again that he didn’t even realise how still Tony had suddenly gone, along with the confusion on Steve’s face at seeing Tony there.

The confusion grew even more as he noticed the ring on Tony’s finger and maybe Bucky was the dumbest smart person ever for forgetting to tell his best friend about their arrangement.

 

Sitting down for dinner with his family, Steve and Tony went a lot smoother than he thought it would. Everyone was polite and, for some reason, didn’t seem to make any remarks when Tony, looking as gorgeous as he did, walked in with Bucky, who was missing an entire arm along with everything else.

He offered to help with cleaning up the dishes alongside his mother and when it was just the two of them alone in the kitchen she took his head in both of her hands and smiled so proudly.

“You look at him so adoringly. I’m glad you’ve found your someone.”

His mother walked out of the kitchen, struck for a moment. Was it really obvious? How he felt for Tony?

He shook his head and turned to fill up his glass with water when the door to the kitchen knocked closed and suddenly Steve was there in her personal space, small frown on his face that he usually got when he was thinking too hard about something.

“Why him?”

Bucky paused and turned around, eyebrow raised and a frown already filling, “What?”

“Why him, why Tony?”

Eyebrows furrowing, Bucky couldn’t help his hackles rising up, “Why’s it any of your business?”

“I’m just worried you’re making a mistake.”

“Maybe you should worry about yourself because Tony sure as hell ain’t no mistake.”

The worry and concern on Steve’s face was almost suffocating as he shook his head and pressed in closer to Bucky, placing a hand on his shoulder. His omega scent calmed Bucky down unconsciously and Bucky hated that the scent was so familiar - he wanted to still be angry, but he wasn’t really.

Steve was safe, he knew what Tony meant to Bucky. His next words were hushed, like he didn’t want anyone else to hear.

“I don’t want you to make a mistake because your parents are pressing you to marry someone and you’re cashing in a highschool pinkie swear with Tony. It’s not fair to either of you, Buck. Least not Tony.”

Bucky sighed as the truth he had been trying to ignore settled in his head and suddenly he knew that this wasn’t fair. Sure, sometimes it felt like Tony did reciprocate the feelings he had, but really? A fake marriage to help get Bucky’s parents off his back? 

Steve was right, and Bucky resigned himself to feeling like a tool.

 

When he walked back into the room, Tony seemed more subdued, and though he smiled when he saw Bucky and Steve walk in, it wasn’t the same dazzling smile that Tony had given him a mere couple of hours before. 

The rest of dinner went pretty much along the same tangent as before. 

Sure, there was a mood drop that was more than obvious to Bucky, but since his parents still seemed happy, he continued to fake it like it was all fine while his heart and mind were racing at an alarming pace.

Was what he was doing really fair?

To him?

To  _ Tony _ ?

He internally sighed as he sat through the rest of the dinner and knew that he was going to need to have a chat to Tony about this somewhere more private.

  
  


Before he knew it, he was in the drivers seat of his car taking Tony and himself home.

It was silent between the two of them for a while until Tony took a deep breath, “I think… I think there’s no point in continuing with this.”

A stab of hurt hit Bucky as he side glanced to the omega and nodded. He couldn’t quite tell the exact emotion Tony was feeling but then again, he thought he could read the omega pretty well.

Apparently not.

“Okay.”

“Okay? That’s all you have to say?”

“Well what are you wanting me to say? You said we should stop, so I’m stopping. I’m not going to force you to do something you don’t want to do, Tony.”

Bucky didn’t get a reply, but that was okay. He deserved this for trying to force Tony into something that obviously wasn’t what Bucky thought it was.

Pulling up to Tony’s drive, they both sat there for a few minutes before Bucky spoke, “I’m sorry I put you in that situation Tony, it wasn’t fair to you.”

Tony’s lips thinned into a line and he merely nodded, exiting the car. He seemed to take a deep breath before he turned to face Bucky, “I just… I just thought you were one of the good ones.”

Somehow, as the door closed shut behind him, that was the thing that hurt more than anything else.

 

The next couple of days showed the impression that Tony had already made on Bucky’s parents. 

Sure, they had met a couple of times before, and they sure had  _ heard _ of Tony before, but this was the first proper sit-down meet and boy. Did they love Tony.

They were constantly asking after him along with everything else, and Bucky hadn’t  _ quite _ told them that they had “broken up.” 

Because they hadn’t, no matter how much it had hurt.

There was never really anything to break - except one of the friendships that Bucky cherished the most.

Bucky had tried to reach out to Tony once or twice, but so far hadn’t heard anything in response and man. He really had screwed this up, hadn’t he?

He also had no idea how to make it better.

Sure, he should have been honest with how he felt. Should have told Tony right from the start that  _ I’m in love with you, there’s no one else for me.  _ But he hadn’t. Instead, he had said  _ I need someone to help me get my parents off my back, pretend we’re in love? _

Foolish.

Stupid. 

Dumb. 

In love.

_ In love.  _

God.

Bucky really didn’t want to lose Tony. Not to something stupid like this, like faking the feelings he felt so deep in his heart.

With a determined nod to no one but himself, he grabbed his coat and sprinted for the door, getting into his car and trying to evade all the traffic he could.

He only hoped Tony could forgive him.

 

Showing up at Tony’s door was the most nerve wracking thing he felt like he had done in his whole life.

Once upon a time he knew he would have been welcome, could have practically waltzed through the door if he so pleased. Yet now he could barely find the courage to knock on the damn door.

He was an Alpha, god damn it. Weren’t they meant to be brave? Manly? All the things an omega looked for? Bucky sure as hell didn’t feel like it - even less so when he finally found the courage to knock and Tony came into his view.

Barely a week and it seemed like too long since he had seen the omega and oh god, Bucky was truly, truly screwed. How was he only just realising the extent of it?

Tony opened his mouth and started to shut the door, so Bucky panicked in the midst of trying to come up with something smart to say, something to make Tony not shut him out anymore, to make something  _ better _ .

So of course with his luck, and his already established wit and brain, the first thing that came to his ‘big dumb alpha brain’ (as Tony often fondly called his) was, “I love you.”

The door paused in it’s movement and Tony stopped completely, looking at Bucky for a solid moment before he opened the door again and moved to the side, muttering, “Come on.”

He paused for a moment before walking inside and taking a seat on the couch. Tony stood, standing in front of him with a carefully blank expression on his face as he spoke. “So what did you just say to me?”

“I uh-I love you.”

“You don’t sound too sure of that.”

Bucky chewed his lip for a minute before he sighed, running a hand through his hair, “Listen, I just-I’m sorry for the position I put you in. It… It wasn’t fair of me to put you in a situation like that an-and to kiss you as well, I just… Even if you never wanted to talk to me again I just... I just had to apologize.”

Tony was silent for a long while before he came and he sat beside Bucky, swaying into Bucky’s area and leaning his head on Bucky’s shoulder. “I thought you were with Steve.”

Bucky’s eyebrows furrowed and he turned to look at Tony. “What? Why?”

The omega shrugged and sighed, “I walked into the kitchen to try and find you and you guys… I don’t know, I guess I got a bit jealous and blew some things out of proportion in my head which - I mean, you know me.”

“Yeah, I do.”

Tony looked up at Bucky with a shit-eating grin that somehow looked a bit too timid for Bucky’s liking and leaned into his view, “And you love me anyway.”

“You’re damn right I do. I’m pretty sure you love me too.”

“ _ ‘Pretty sure’  _ he says.”

Bucky shrugged and leaned in that last inch or so before he connected their lips for a proper kiss, “Maybe you could prove it to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the following prompt:  
> Alpha!Bucky's parents keep pushing him to find a mate. "You're pushing thirty! You need to settle down!" they say. Bucky mostly just wants to be left alone and is considering life as a hermit in the woods until he remembers a promise he'd made with his omega friend, Tony, that if they were both unmarried by thirty they'd marry each other. Maybe he wouldn't mind pushing the date up to get Bucky's parents off his back. (Tony is absolutely in love with Bucky and agrees immediately. Misunderstandings leading to a happy end happen.)  
> \+ "Hey." "No." "That's literally me in the picture you liked."
> 
> Let me know what you thought!  
> You can find me on tumblr @maximoffwandas


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